A World Without Strangers
by incandescience
Summary: In a different time and galaxy, our heroes are granted a second chance at happiness, one triggered by the accidental kidnapping of a certain recalcitrant Princess by unwitting smuggler Han Solo. HL, LM. Really, really, AU.


In a different time and galaxy, our heroes are granted a second chance at happiness, one triggered by the accidental kidnapping of a certain recalcitrant Princess by unwitting smuggler Han Solo. HL, LM. Really, really, AU.

**Background:** Think Star Wars...in a more antiquated, calmer realm. And unlike the EU authors killing off everyone, this might actually end happily.

**Disclaimer:**Star Wars and characters are not anywhere close to my ownership :(

**Part I, Chapter 1 – Fainting Spells**

_Coruscant, Year 39 after the Great Resynchronization_

Coruscant was one of the crown jewels of the Empire, and glowed with the radiance of the innumerable buildings in the ecumenopolis, speaking of millenia of acquired culture and refined taste. It did nothing to calm the stormy thoughts of Senator-Princess Leia Organa, who stared moodily at the planet as her ship, the _Tantive IV_, entered the atmosphere and made for the Organa family's private docking bay. The coolly technological splendor of Coruscant was nothing in comparison to her home planet of Alderaan's serene elegance.

As Leia disembarked, her face was calm and her speech impassive, giving no hint of her thoughts. She spoke to the retinue of servants on the ship, who then left in a flurry, and walked to the guardsmen waiting for her, dismissing them and indicating she was going to walk towards the Organa compound with Winter, whenever she showed up. It did no good to show her emotions or thoughts. The Emperor was getting paranoid, and he had spies everywhere, after all.

One figure awaited her next to the exit, wrapped in a cloak of brown. The white locks of hair that spilled from the hood revealed its identity as Winter Retrac. She smiled at Leia, who responded in kind. "Missing Alderaan already?" Winter queried.

"You should know," Leia stared upwards at where the Imperial Palace as they walked, "It's something of an honor to be part of the Imperial Senate at such an age...yet."

"Yet?"

Leia shook her shoulders, rousing herself out of her thoughts. "Sometimes I feel as if the Senate's a bit stymied by the power of the Emperor, as if it's just a front for something else," she said softly. "But even he recognizes-should recognize the need for democratic processes."

Winter looked at her foster sister, searching for any hint of the dark thoughts that clouded Leia's formerly strong convictions in the goodness of the Empire, and the quiet uncertainty that filled her last statement. They walked quietly for a few minutes, and Winter opened her mouth to voice a question – and then blanched, as she realized Leia was so deeply lost in her thoughts that she had managed to crash into a large human figure, accompanied by a Wookiee.

"Hey fairy princess, get your head out of the clouds and watch where you're going, won't you?" The man sneered.

"Why don't you have a bit of respect for some other people, and just accept an apology and leave gracefully, huh?" Leia snapped back. "It's not like I broke your nose or anything other than your ego." She hated people insulting her color and choice of clothing.

The Wookiee roared in agreement.

"Sheesh lady, you've even managed to turn my best bud against me." The man rolled his eyes. "C'mon Chewie, we're leaving. Some Whyren's Reserve might make me feel a bit better."

He strode off down the path. The Wookiee looked at Leia apologetically, and then walked off, following the angry male.

"Corellians." Leia huffed.

-------------

Dressed entirely in white, Leia Organa looked purely angelic as she moved gracefully through the crowded reception. Bail looked down thoughtfully at her from his vantage point. She reminded him so much of her mother, from mannerisms to appearance – but now was not the time to mention Padmé Amidala Naberrie, nor her father. He chuckled to himself, as he saw Pooja Naberrie, who was probably Leia's closest friend, other than Winter, and also a political ally of Leia's, slide around the mass to talk to Leia. It was ironic, he mused, that blood still called to blood. Neither knew they were cousins, yet still, they managed to find each other.

Bail Organa smiled at his adopted daughter, who, after a few minutes, had finally managed to make her way over towards him. "Safe flight, I assume?" He gestured towards her.

"As safe as can be. I was a bit surprised that you'd gift me with the _Tantive _for my eighteenth lifeday, considering you adored that ship."

He laughed. "The _Banshee_ is a bit easier to fly, and faster. Besides, she's a bit more unremarkable and less distinctive when compared to the _Tantive_."

"How's mother?" Leia looked up at him.

"Busy, as usual – the Alderaani education system is not one of His Imperial Majesty's favored projects," Bail said wryly. "Although she sent a holo a few hours ago gossiping about the latest travails of Drost Elegin."

Leia at least had enough shame to wince, and her cheeks became a bit pinker than blush normally would create. "I only said what needed to be said."

"Including insulting his manhood, informing him that his cleanliness level was equivalent to a bantha's, and that he ought to have been born a nerfherder? I'm sure House Elegin appreciated the slight. "

Leia blushed even more, but any response she would have made was cut off as a tall, striking man tapped her on the shoulder, requesting the honor of a dance. She made the proper statements to her father and bowed, retreating from his teasing onslaught. Bail made note of the man – Denid of Velmor. An interesting choice for a partner. However, any further insight Bail would make of the idea was quenched as he saw Leia suddenly collapse onto the floor.

----------

When Leia came to, she found herself being prodded gently by a 2-1B droid in a sterile, white room. Bail and Breha Organa dozed sleepily in chairs next to her. She experimentally twitched a toe, and winced as muscles-long unused spasmed into existence. Breha lurched awake, startled into wariness by Leia's movements, before relaxing and smiling at her adopted daughter.

"Love, how are you feeling?"

The patient gagged, ""Like Sithspawn?" And shook the hair falling loose around her shoulders. "Why'd I faint, anyways?"

Bail, awake now, looked at Breha worriedly. _Should we just tell her why, and not go into the details?_ The unspoken question passed between them. _Especially in how close she came with the Sithspawn comment_.

His wife looked at him, saying quietly, "She's eighteen. By now, she deserves to know."

"Deserves to know what?" Leia sputtered.

Bail ignored Leia, replying, "But it's still too early – how do we know that it's safe for her to know?"

"Because it's time, and someone else might turn that knowledge against her if they find out."

Leia glared at them both."Why are you talking about me like this, and why did I faint?"

The two parents looked at each other. "Any person on Coruscant with an elevated level of midichlorians fainted at the same time you did. Two others at the reception did, also. "

Leia stared at them, confused. "But neither of you two nor anyone in the family has excess midichlorians within your body. How can I have -"

She looked at them, puzzled. Bail sighed, giving into Breha's wishes. "We adopted you. Your mother was Padmé Amidala Naberrie, may the Force bless her soul."

"Oh. And?" Leia stared back. "Are you worried that that changes my feelings for you? You raised me."

Breha and Bail relaxed visibly. They should have trusted in Leia's practicality and if she didn't ask about her father now, Bail rationalized, there would be no reason that she'd dig deeper into the mess that was her parentage.

But unseen to them, inside the Alderaniaan princess, an internal battle raged. Leia's sabacc face was on, and she wasn't about to let it waver. Padmé Amidala was one of the preeminent Senators of the Old Republic government, before she disappeared – she hadn't even been married, so how could she have been her daughter? Unless the scandal drove her out – but who could have caused that great of a scandal? She was what Leia wanted to be, from all the stories Pooja told her about her personality, and from the holovids of Padmé that she had seen.

It was something Leia would get down to the bottom of.


End file.
